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theory. Currents were said to have no effect upon the spawn- 
ing. Oysters of one year’s growth, three-fourths of an inch 
long, have been seen with the spawn in them, and oysters on 
natural beds were thought by the majority to spawn soon- 
er than the planted ones, though there was not much dif- 
ference. Oysters transplanted with the spawn in them, how- 
ever, will cease spawning. 
A wet or warm spring would hasten the time of spawning, 
but would not shorten its duration. Heavy freshets were 
very destructive to the “ spat ” in Pocomoke Sound, driving 
it out into the Bay, and large schools of fish, especially trout 
and taylors, devoured a good many every spring and sum- 
mer. The young were supposed to “strike” every three 
years, though there was but little regularity about it, a bed 
sometimes running for ten years with a young growth on it 
every year and then failing to produce anything for two or 
three years. Sometimes one part of the bed will be covered 
by young, and another part totally barren. 
Ho systematic attempt had ever been made to increase the 
amount of “cultch” in the Sounds, though a few persons had 
placed old shells, ballast, boards and boughs about their plant- 
ing ground and succeeded in making a good catch. 
It was the general opinion that the oyster increased in 
size from one to two inches in the first year of growth 
and a little more than that during the second; afterwards 
the increase was much less. Oysters from two to four 
years old were considered as best for the market and 
are then from three to four inches long. Ten bushels of 
oysters were considered a profitable day’s work for a tonger. 
For a dredger the number of bushels varied on account of 
their different sizes. About sixty bushels were considered a 
profitable day’s work for the larger vessels and from twenty 
to thirty for smaller craft. 
The dredging vessels employ from four to nine men and 
the “tonging” canoes one man and a boy. Tonging could 
not be carried on profitably in depths greater than four fath- 
oms in the Sound and dredging in not more than six. The 
dredges vary in size, from two feet to four feet across the mouth 
